Hurricane Drunk
by NevermoreLenore13
Summary: Penelope Price is a girl who has her life sorted out perfectly. And everything's going according to plan, until she wakes up one morning, naked, and next to Sirius Black.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the world of Harry Potter. And anything you see familiar, there's a very good chance I don't own it either.

AN- Please, please review!

Hurricane Drunk

When Penelope Price wakes up after a drunken night next to Sirius Black, her life is turned upside down. Being the school's infamous chubby girl isn't easy, and now that the Gryffindor bad boy has his eye on her, she's going to have to face a whole slew of horrible, hilarious, crazy problems while trying to figure out just what happened that night.

Prologue

Everything ached. Everything. Places I didn't even know could _be_ sore was throbbing. Most of all my head.

Groaning, I sat up and tried to open my tired eyes. I could feel my mascara clumping my eyelashes together, preventing me from opening my eyes. I rubbed them and swung my legs over the bed, frowning as the action made my head swim with dizziness.

I couldn't remember anything.

I yawned, stretched my arms over my head and groaned as my back popped loudly. I winced at the blinding sunlight streaming in through the windows and shielded my eyes with my hand. Wait. Why were the curtains on the floor? And better yet, why were the red and gold.

I was a Ravenclaw.

In fact, the entire room was completely different than mine. The four beds in the room were skewed, but I could see that they made a cross through the room, each one against the four walls. Red and gold streamers, pom-poms, and flags littered the floor and hung off the canopies of the beds.

My heart pounded beneath my chest as I looked around the room. A girl was snoring against the wall, with two boys wrapped in red sheets beside her. I didn't recognize them from my own house.

Crap.

Where was Luce? Where was I? Where was my shirt?

Sighing, I put my head in my hands, trying to think between the pain throbbing through my brain. I was no party girl. And in fact, if you count a 10 year old birthday party at the zoo, this would be only the 2nd party I had ever been to.

And apparently I had been wasted.

"You're an idiot, Pen."

From beside me, the bed shifted and someone moaned into the pillow. I whirled around, my head immediately screaming at me how much of a bad idea it was. I stumbled in dizziness and stared as Sirius Black rolled over in the gold cotton sheet he was wrapped in. Shirtless.

And I didn't want to know if he were knicker-less.

He looked up at me through a sleepy haze, his hair sticking in every direction. I expected something with a smirk, a 'well, hello there', something clever. What he said, instead was, "Who the hell are you?"

My wide eyes immediately set into a glare as I grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around my chest, making sure every revealing body part was covered completely. The blanket shifted and I briefly caught a glimpse of the naked hip of Sirius Black. Oh God. Had we slept together?

"Better yet," I said, pointing at him as if I were scolding a child. "What did you do to me last night?"

"Do to you? Love," He sat up, pulling a pillow into his naked lap "I can't even recollect anything past the Quidditch game last night, let alone if we shagged in my bed." He looked around suddenly at his nakedness, his eyebrows raising as if pleased with himself. I pursed my lips and stomped my foot, cautious not to wake the sleeping students behind me.

"Well, I don't either. So, hopefully, nothing happened. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find my clothes." I spun around the best I could wrapped in his golden sheets. The girl laying on the floor was waking, igniting a wave of fear deep inside me. I did not need anyone seeing me naked, leaving Sirius Black's bed. I had a reputation to uphold!

Ok, so maybe my reputation was only in my eyes, but still. It was an oath to myself, not to traipse around Hogwarts like a bitch in heat like some of the girls around here. They acted as if each boy was a new and exciting adventure, only to cry about the same break up two weeks later. "Girls." I growled, rolling my eyes as I pulled my familiar grey and blue shirt out from under the girl's legs.

She grunted and handed me a pair of bright pink underwear, which was also very familiar. Blushing deeply, I snatched them from her and slipped them on under the sheet.

The thought of shagging Sirius Black was bad enough…but doing it when three random strangers were in the room at the same time? That was more than I could take.

I found my jeans sticking out from the top of the canopy bed and pulled them and my shirt on, screwing the bra. I had more and all I wanted to do was run. Run to my room and cry and try to remember what the bloody hell happened last night.

Maybe Luce knew….maybe I had passed out before anything had happened.

Sirius was still in bed, but thankfully now dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms. He was smirking at me, as if he knew it all and found utter enjoyment on me being in the dark. "It's a shame you have to rush off so fast."

I glared at him as I walked to the door. He was sitting back on his elbows, grinning at me. I rolled my eyes. "That's not what's shameful." I muttered before fleeing down the winding staircase. As soon as I stepped into the trashed common room, I stopped in my tracks. Kids were already picking up the mess, charming the furniture clean and back in place. But, what was so strange, was the way the whispering happened as soon as I entered the room.

A boy holding a wide broom grinned and threw a head nod at me, as if we had been best mates for years. "OW! OWWOOOH!" He howled, rotating his hips as he danced with the broom. Another boy joined and waggled his eyebrows at me.

Oh God. What did I do last night?

"That was quite a show last night." A girl said, her arms folded over her chest with a scowl set on her lips. It looked as if she had practiced it a while.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I pushed past her and ignored the cat calls from the other students in the common room. I even decided to ignore it as she mumbled 'slut' under her breath as I passed.

I didn't stop until the Ravenclaw common room opened up and to my utter shock, it was in the same disarray as the Gryffindor. Luce was standing near the couch, instructing a group of boys to straighten the rugs and chairs, leading the cleaning crew as if she were a natural born dictator. Luce had that uncanny ability that annoyed me immensely, of always being in charge. No matter what.

One look at me coming in through the door, my arms crossed over my chest, her face lit up. It also immediately showed signs of shock and surprise. "Hey, you! Where'd you get off to last night?"

I winced at her words and shrugged my shoulders. "Woke up in Gryffindor…What happened last night?"

"Huge party, duh. Gryffindor killed Slytherin in the game, and James Potter said anyone who hated Slytherin could join for a party…Don't you remember?"

"No." I shook my head, smiling to a few girls who thankfully had no idea of the crazy things I had done in the Gryffindor common room last night. Thank God gossip didn't travel that fast. I figured I had until lunch before the professor's knew I had slept with Black.

If I did.

But, hell, all the evidence was there. With both of us naked in his bed, what else could have happened? And to think, I had made such a big deal about sex to Luce just months ago…she was going to think I was such a two faced, double standard, hussy!

"Pen!" I snapped my attention back to my best friend waving a hand in front of my face. She smiled motherly and patted my arm. "Hungover, eh? You were already getting pretty pissed here last night…I was kind of worried when you ran off with Potter and Black." Her green eyes lingered on mine a second too long, and I knew she suspected something had happened.

Best friends intuition was another super human ability she had. I smiled reassuring her and squared my shoulders with fake bravery.

"Yeah. Got a massive headache. Thank God it's Sunday." I waved to Luce, Simon (her boyfriend), and the rest of the gang before heading off to our shared dormitory. Luce's bed was made so neat and proper it made my messed up jumble of blankets look like a pig sty. I didn't care.

I fell back on my bed, my stuffed piggy rolling off the mountain of pillows onto my face. I squeezed him close and bit back the tears that threatened to spill. "Penelope Price, you've really fucked things up."

AN- Thanks for reading and I hope you review!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own anything!

AN- Please review! It helps inspire me to write faster!

Chapter 1: Busy Times At The Ole Rumor Mill

For a Sunday, the school was awfully lively. Especially for after a night of heavy partying. So far, no professor had approached anyone, screaming and ordering detentions faster than a blink of an eye. I kept to myself the entire day, holding my breath every time someone spoke to me or said my name. Luckily the ole rumor mill was going slow.

Or so I thought.

By lunch, Luce had already discovered that something was wrong. I caught her staring at me, with those motherly gazes, the ones that said 'When you're ready to talk, I'll listen'. Except, I wasn't ready to talk.

I wasn't even ready to wake up. All I wanted to do was becoming completely forgotten.

Maybe I was over-reacting a bit. Hell, any girl who fancied boys, fancied Sirius Black. He was handsome, suave, clever, trouble. The perfect combination for a girl 13-17 years of age.

But, I wasn't just a random girl in that age group. I had sworn to myself a long time ago that I wasn't going to be one of 'those girls', that I wouldn't need a boyfriend to feel better about myself. Hell, I was already the infamous 'chubby' girl. I had been called fat so many times, it didn't even hurt anymore.

I know I would never fit into a size small, medium, or large and that suited me fine, because I know I'm so much more than my body…And I found this out so long ago, and have known this for so long, to know that I betrayed myself with one stupid night was proving to be difficult to swallow.

I became those girls, the ones who giggle at the mere presence of a boy, who flirt, who do whatever it takes to make a boy like them. The thought made me sick.

I dropped my fork on my plate with a resounding clatter, making Simon look over at me with a mouthful of pudding in his mouth. He cocked his head to the side in confusion. Yeah, it wasn't every day that I refused to finish a meal. I knew he didn't mean it like that, but I was setting myself up for the world's biggest pity party which would continue on for the rest of the year, I was sure.

"Wha's a matter?" He asked, pointing to my untouched lunch with his spoon.

"Just not feeling too well." In an instant, Luce was leaning over the table to press the back of her fingers against my forehead. I shook her away and blew out a sigh of annoyance. Her green eyes flickered and I could tell she was on the verge of asking me what the bloody hell was wrong. I just couldn't tell her.

I was ashamed.

But, I wasn't the only one who knew. And those other people wouldn't be afraid to spout off the latest rumor they heard. Like a looming thunderstorm, a shadow passed over us and I looked to my right to see a girl staring down at me with wide eyes. She was familiar, but only vaguely. She apparently knew me well enough to say whatever she felt like saying, which was: "Is it true Sirius Black got you pregnant?"

"What?" I asked, choking on my breath.

Luce and Simon stared at me, their faces written with shock. The girl put her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes as if I were the one being ridiculous. "Well, I just wondered. There's a bunch of stuff going around that he got you pregnant last night."

"Wow, as if it actually happens that fast."

"I wouldn't know. I'm not a slut." She said, glancing at Luce and Simon before stalking off toward the Gryffindor table. I sighed and knew it was probably now or never. Judging by the looks my best friend and her boyfriend were giving me, it was clear that they wouldn't accept never as an option.

"Crazy kids these days, huh? So what are your plans for the rest of the day."

"Wait, wait wait. Back the bloody hell up." Luce put her palms down on the table and shook her head as if trying to shake the disbelief out of it. "What just happened? Do you know what she was talking about?"

Simon backed away and occupied himself by studying the suddenly interesting floral arrangement on the middle of the table. His intuition for an estrogen filled conversation was impeccable. I sighed and shook my head, holding my hands up in defeat. "I…She just…I guess…" I pursed my lips, a million different things filled my head, but I couldn't really find the right words. Sighing, I let my shoulders sag and hands fall to my sides. "I guess last night got a bit crazy."

"YOU SLEPT WITH SIRIUS BLACK?" The entire Great Hall fell into silence as the entire student body turned to stare at Luce and her outburst. I kept my eyes on her as she sunk back down in her seat sheepishly. "Well, thanks. Now the professor's know as well."

"What happened? I mean…were you drunk?"

With a shrug, I threw my napkin on the table and sat back, crossing my arms over my chest. "Yes. I don't remember anything. I might have slept with him, I might not have."

"Wait. You don't know?"

"I woke up in his bed this morning, both of us were naked…but I don't _remember_ shagging him."

"Were you sore…you know…" She glanced quickly at Simon who was still busy staring at the roses as if his life depended on it. "_there_."

"There?" I rolled my eyes at her innocence. "I was sore in places I didn't even know existed this morning."

"Whoa. I think that's my cue to leave. Good luck, Pen." Simon bent down to plant a kiss on his girlfriend's forehead before rushing out of the Great Hall. Luce ignored him and continued staring at me with that same motherly gaze. I half expected her to tell me she wasn't mad…just disappointed.

My patience was wearing thin, and I knew this was only the first in a long number of times I would have to tell someone that no, I didn't sleep with Sirius Black, but yes, it was a possibility. "Look, I really don't need this right now. I have a feeling that this whole incident isn't just going to disappear, so I'd like to enjoy my last few hours of solitude before the army of jealous hags gets a hold of me. I'm sorry. Very." Luce didn't respond before I fled out of the Great Hall, praying to every deity above that no one would stop me before I found my bed.

I needed a very good cry, my piggy, and to be completely alone for the rest of the day. I could use some ice cream, but I didn't feel like sneaking anywhere tonight. I would have to sulk snackless.

As I rounded the corner to the stairs, a hand snaked its way around my wrist and whirled me around. My first thought was Luce followed me, despite the fact that she knows I have to be alone to work through emotional problems. My defenses were up immediately. "Luce, please!"

"Not Luce. Sorry." Sirius Black smiled, and for the first time there was no infuriating smirk hidden behind it with perverse intentions. "I couldn't help over hearing your conversation, though. I believe my name was mentioned?"

I rolled my eyes and was suddenly aware of my hand still gripped in his fingers. I ripped it free and crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. He may be the most wanted boy in our year, but I would be damned if I fell for his charms…Again.

"Yeah well, it looks like you get to sit back and have boys congratulate on another conquest while my name gets slung through the mud."

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. No one is patting me on the back, okay? If anything I'm getting just as much crap as you are." All the anger inside me ignited and once again, my defenses flared up. What had he meant by that? That just because I was a chunky girl, his mates were giving him a hard time? I felt disgusted.

"You're a pig!" I spat before whirling on my heel and stomping up the stairs.

"What did I say?" Sirius followed after, skipping steps two at a time to keep up with me. It took him a moment before he managed to get in front and stop me. "Wait just a minute. Please. You're quick."

"Quick for a fat girl, right?"

Bewilderment took over his face as he stared at me. "What?"

"That's why your mates aren't high fiving each other. Because I'm fat, right?"

"What? Fat? You're not fat. And no. My mates don't know what the bloody hell is going on. The only people who have been giving me a rough time are girls. Your lot is bloody daft sometimes." He scoffed and shook his head, a wave of dark hair falling over one side of his face. It looked so soft, it made me want to touch it. What was with this boy? How could he illicit these kind of thoughts with just a simple flick of his head?

No wonder so many girls fancied him.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I crossed my arms over my chest. "Is there a point to all this or did you want to ruin yet another day of mine?"

"Uh, yeah actually." His cheeks flushed slightly as he reached into the pocket of his jacket. I watched with wide eyes as he pulled out a familiar strip of purple fabric, with lace flowers smiling up at me. I snatched my bra from him and crumpled it as small as I could. "You've been carrying my bra around all day?"

"No! Just to lunch. I had no idea what house you were in so I had to wait until lunch…It's very nice."

"Don't look at my underwear."

"Too late, love. You were stark raving naked in my bed this morning." My cheeks turned crimson as his lips turned upward into his infamous smirk. I wanted to scream in frustration, but could only settle for sighing angrily. "You watched me get dressed?" I asked in quiet anger.

Sirius laughed and shook his head. "No. But, just because you got out of bed first, doesn't mean you woke up first." And with that, he winked and turned on his heel to head back down the stairs. I stared after him, a bit dumbfounded.

Trying to figure out just what he meant, and just how that affected certain parts of me was too difficult to even fathom at this moment. Instead, I turned back to my previous path to the Ravenclaw common room. The urge to cry uncontrollably didn't seem so strong now. And as I reached the fifth floor, I could no longer keep the small smile off of my lips.

AN- Thank you so much for my reviews! I really hope you all liked this chapter! If you see any mistakes, or have any criticisms, please tell me!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Own nothing :P

AN- Hey, thanks for coming back for more! Don't forget to review!

Chapter 2

The next few days proved to be exactly how I imagined them to be: a living hell. Rumors poured through the halls like poison about how I had given Sirius chlamydia, how I was pregnant and getting kicked out, and how I, Penelope Price, chubby loner who was never seen, had stolen Sirius Black from one of the most popular girls in school.

I stood at the end of the hallway leading to Ancient Runes, staring at the sea of students who all had their beady, rumor filled eyes on me. Girls were whispering in each other's ears, giggling, as boys winked and nodded to their friends as if I were a hooker they knew they could get with.

Luce cleared her throat from beside me, glaring icily at the students. They turned back to their business, still whispering about my unholy trysts in the Gryffindor dormitory Saturday night. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Because, you are their new found flavor of the week. Once someone else does something embarrassing they'll forget about you. Just ignore it." Luce nudged me and shook her gold hair behind her shoulders before we set off toward the Potions classroom. I scowled at her and pulled my books closer to my chest, wishing that my cleavage didn't show in every damn shirt I wore.

I pulled at the camisole I wore under my uniform and glanced at Luce. "I didn't do anything embarrassing. It's not like I got up on the table tops and flashed everyone my tits."

Just as the words were out of my mouth, a memory hit me like a brick to the back of the skull. It was fuzzy, like I was seeing it through a rain slicked window. I remember standing on the chess tables of the Gryffindor common room as a song blared through the air. People shouted and chanted as I pumped my fists in the air, spinning around and round, whipping my hair in every direction.

Oh God…I had danced on table tops. I groaned and smacked my forehead with my leather bound notebook filled with doodles and Potion's lectures. From beside me, Luce stared as if I had grown an extra head. "Did I miss something?"

"No. I take back my previous statement. I most certainly did dance on a table."

"You flashed someone?" Of course she would ask that. With a heavy sigh, I followed the crowd of students into the Potions classroom and sat in my stool right beside hers. "Not that I remember. It just kind of flooded back…me dancing on a table top, I mean. I can't remember much else…It's still fuzzy."

Luce opened her notebook and set her quill in the ink jar, turning to face me. Her face was covered with worry. "We have to trigger your memories. If we can get to the bottom of it, we can see if you really did," She dropped her voice to a very hushed whisper, "sleep with you know who."

I rolled my eyes at her dramatics and tried to take her advice and just 'ignore it'. But, ignoring things were so much easier to do when the one person hell bent on ruining your reputation and life weren't always around. A voice caught my attention and I turned to glance over my shoulder. The girl from the Gryffindor common room was walking in the classroom.

I hadn't even known she was in any of my classes. Bloody great.

A snicker made my spine stiffen and I knew, without even knowing, that I was the subject to their whispers and laughs. From beside me, Luce noticed my behavior. "What's wrong?"

"That girl. I think she hates me."

Luce looked back at the pair and nodded. "Yeah, they're definitely whispering about you."

"Gee thanks." I said, sarcasm dripping from the words as Professor Slughorn wobbled out of his office and up to the black board. He flicked his wand at the chalk and immediately started scribbling the lecture notes for an Invigoration Draught. I copied the words without even listening to what Professor Slughorn said. My ears were turned to another conversation.

The girls were still whispering, snickering and shushing each other as if the topic of conversation was just so hilarious, and not detrimental to my entire being. I turned and glared at them, making sure the tall, dark haired girl noticed. She smirked at me and nudged her friend before more whispers.

"Ignore it." Luce muttered low enough for Slughorn not to notice. I glanced at the man standing at the front of the class and tapped my quill anxiously against my notebook. Little pools of black ink started gathering on the pages, running down the length, smearing words. I paid no attention.

All I could focus on were the nasty witches behind me.

Just as the Professor turned back to flip the chalk board for more space for the chalk to scribble, I caught a few bits of what they were actually saying.

"…don't understand why such a _pig_ would think she has a chance…should have stuck to shagging farm animals." Anger bubbled inside me like lava in a volcano ready to erupt.

I tapped my foot and stared straight ahead, trying to listen to Luce as she coaxed in my ear, "Just ignore it. Ignore it and they'll stop." But, this was different. This wasn't just some light teasing. With all the frustration that seemed to be constant since Saturday night, I couldn't help it.

I stood up so fast, my stool screeched across the floor like nails on a chalk board. I whirled around and pointed my wand right at the two girls, using the first spell that came to my mind. With a shriek, they covered their faces and heads before realizing that their arses were now stuck to their stools.

The entire class erupted into laughter as the girls screamed and stood, their stools hanging off their back sides as if their skin had grown into the wood. Professor Slughorn snatched my wand away immediately, his words garbled and quick. "De-detention, Miss Price! Report to your head of house immediately!" I looked at Luce who had her palm over her face as she shook her head. I grabbed my notebook and glared once more at the two still screaming girls before making my way out.

I knew Professor Flitwick would be pissed at me, since Ravenclaw's weren't prone to outbursts like mine. But, a part of me, the most un-Ravenclaw part, I suppose, just didn't care. It had felt pretty damn good to stand up for myself.

As I snaked my way through the halls of Hogwarts, taking an extra-long time with each step, I really couldn't bring myself to care about what happened next. If these people who were so focused on someone's mistakes, wanted a war, then damnit I was ready to give them one.

All my life I've had to live with my mother telling me that I would be _so_ pretty, if I just lost weight. All my life boys had looked at me and thought 'she's cute, but a bit too chubby'. I was done. I was so over being the sad, pathetic chubby girl who stood by and let people walk all over her.

I was going to stand up to this bullshit.

I was not going to let it stop me, not going to let it bully me down.

Of course, I just had to face Professor Flitwick and detention.

~!~

"This is most unusual behavior, Miss Price. I have never had an incident involving you. But, hexing fellow students is against the rules." Professor Flitwick pushed his tiny glasses up his nose and stared at me over his desk, folding his fingers together. I looked away from his disapproving stare and focused on the portraits. They were shaking their heads as if they knew I was better than this.

I glared at them and looked down at the pattern carved into the desk. "I cannot administer your detention tonight seeing as I have to organize the choir for the recital next week. I'll message Filch and tell him to be expecting you after classes today." He signed the detention sheet and handed it back to me. I slipped it in my folder and mumbled a thank you before leaving.

I had never had detention, and I don't think I deserved to have to report to Filch. There were horror stories from his detentions, of filthy bathrooms and disgusting dishes to be cleaned. How hard was it to make me write lines for an hour? I suspected Flitwick just didn't want to bother with it.

The remainder of the day flew by and no matter what I did, I couldn't make it slow down. I was dreading this more than anything, and of course, the minutes ticked by like seconds and before long, I was standing in front of the greasy haired janitor. He sniffed and rubbed his nose on his sleeve before handing me a ragged mop and bucket.

"Locker rooms need cleanin', lit'le lady."

"Which locker rooms?" I asked, hoping he didn't mean the Quidditch ones. The players were always so rowdy and I knew they did not pick up after themselves. Filch didn't answer. He headed out to the courtyard and pointed down to where the Quidditch pitch sat. My shoulders fell.

"Don't they have practice? I'm not going in there if people are in them."

Filch sniffed again and spit whatever he hawked up out onto the lawn. I tried not to gag. "Nope. They're done fer the day. Hop to it." He dropped the bucket at my feet and turned on his heel, disappearing back inside the castle. With a roll of my eyes, I carried the mop and bucket down the slope to the pitch and shoved open the creaking locker room doors.

The hinges screamed in protest as I threw the bucket on the ground and gave it a kick. With a sigh, I shook my hair out of my eyes and looked at the mess I faced. The benches were turned over, trash spilled out of the open lockers, and the puddles under the shower smelled like sweat and mud.

How in the world did I deserve this? I cursed my luck and shut the locker door. Quidditch equipment was piled up in the corner and I could faintly hear the scurrying of rats, or very large bugs somewhere nearby. I shuddered and pushed the bucket under the faucet of the showers, filling it with cold water. I had no soap, and figured Filch really didn't care if I even cleaned at all.

I just had to be busy for the next hour. "That you, Prongs?" A male voice called out, making me start. I slipped in the muddy puddle on the tile and fell on my arse. The water was freezing and made my lungs clench in my chest. Before I could get up, or even respond, the half-naked body of my new number one fan came around the stall. I looked up at Sirius Black as he took in the sight of me sitting in dirty water, my skirt soaked and plastered to my thighs.

"Oh." Was all the said, his hands clenching the towel around his hips.

I swallowed and tore my eyes away from his dripping body, knowing the fluttering in my stomach was hormones. With a shiver, I stood up and looked down at my newly ruined skirt. I wrung it out and dusted my dirty hands on my hips. Sirius cleared his throat suddenly. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine."

"I'd offer you a towel, but…" He trailed off, the humor evident in his tone. I gave him a deadpanned stare and picked up the mop and turned the faucet water off before the bucket ran over. "What are you doing in here, anyway?"

"Detention. Filch said that no one would be in here…looks like he was wrong. That, or fate just loves to knock me on my ass." Sirius laughed and walked to a supply closet near the lockers, tossing me a stale smelling towel. I wiped my soaked legs and skirt, knowing I would have to just throw it out.

Still in his towel, with water dripping off his hair, Sirius sat down on one of the benches and watched as I ran the mop over the dirty floor in two swipes. And then I decided I wasn't going to finish it. Filch would just have to be pissed.

"Are you just going to sit there, naked?"

"Well, you could join me in said nakedness. Then it wouldn't be so awkward." He smirked as I folded my arms over my chest, pursing my lips. Laughing, he held his hands up in defense. "Fine, fine. I was going to wait until you turned around, but if you want to see my nudity so bad, I'll just let this little towel fall." He unwrapped the corner of it, causing blood to rush to my face quicker than I would have liked. I spun around, facing the leaking shower head so he could get dressed.

After a few moments of listening to him wrestle his clothes back on, he told me it was all clear. I glanced over my shoulder just to make sure. He was slipping a red and gold striped rugby shirt over his head, his back turned to me still.

I stuck the mop back into the bucket and heaved a sigh, knowing I was nowhere near the hour mark for the detention. "Well, sorry for…you know, almost seeing you naked." Why did everything I say sound so stupid?

Sirius laughed and waved a hand at me. "My pleasure. Are you seriously going to clean this place?" He looked around, his lip turned up in a disgusted snarl.

"I guess."

With a shake of his index finger, he pulled on his wand and flicked it a few times at the lockers. I watched as the contents snapped back into them and the doors slammed shut. The benches were fixed next, and Sirius managed to shove the whole pile of equipment into a tiny closet next to the showers. The locker room already looked a hundred times better. "You can mop, if you'd like…but Filch doesn't check."

"You would know, hm?"

He puffed his chest out with pride. "I've been known to serve a detention or two." He put his fists against his hips in his best 'super-hero' pose, making me snort.

"Well, now that you've seen me naked, covered in mud, and pretty much cleaned this place better than I ever could, I think I'm going to go take a shower. Thanks, though." I kicked the brown bucket over and let he water swirl down the drain.

Sirius stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged as a slightly uncomfortable silence took over. I had forgotten for a few minutes about what had happened this past weekend, and now that it flooded back like a dam had been broken, I didn't know what to say. I busied myself with pushing the mop into the ground to ring it out as he cleared his throat and packed the red bag at his feet. "Want some company?" He asked as I stood, still sopping wet from earlier.

I hesitated, not entirely sure why. Something about the very brief times we've spoken made me not want to trust him…I knew nothing about him except what I had heart filtering around the gossips at school, and well, considering things lately, I've decided not to listen or believe anything they said.

And what was I saying earlier?

I wasn't going to let them get to me anymore. It would be hypocritical to assume Sirius was some player, who dumped girls every other week just because he could.

Blinking out of my reverie, I let my lips lift in a small smile and nodded. "Sure."

With a grin, he held the door open for me, ignoring the complaint from the hinges. I walked out into the dusk and shivered, not expecting the cold to wrap itself around my legs. "So, are we ever going to talk about that night?" Sirius asked suddenly, looking down at me through a curtain of wind swept locks.

His question sent knots tangling up my stomach immediately, but I was curious to know. "The only thing I can really remember is dancing in the common room."

"Oh yeah." He said, looking off into the distance with a tiny smile. I blinked and smacked his elbow, bringing him back to the real topic. "Sorry. I guess neither of us should have drunk so much."

"Yeah, you're telling me."

"Listen," He stopped suddenly as the hillside flattened out. The castle watched us, the flickering lights in the windows were like eyes. "If anything happened…I'm sorry. And if nothing did happen, then…Well, no harm done, I guess." He smiled and handed me the handle of the bucket. I wrapped my fingers around the metal wire, our pinkies brushing slightly.

"I really don't blame you…I'm just angry at myself, really. I never drink. Honestly, and—"

"Sirius." A voice made us both spin toward the door to the castle. Leaning against the frame was the same girl who just had her arse melted to her stool in Potions. My eyes immediately set into a glare as she smiled sweetly to Sirius. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and glanced at me. "I got to go. See you later." I stood rooted to the grass, watching him walk up to the girl that ruined my entire day. He slid an arm around her waist as she kissed him on the jaw. "Hey, Jillie." He said as they rounded the corner into the castle.

Jillie.

Well, at least I knew her name now.

AN- Thanks soo much for the reviews! I'm so loving this story! I hope you all come back for the next few chapters!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything from the world JK Rowling created!

**Chapter 3**

"C'mon, Luce." I begged as I dragged my feet, my clunky, black Mary-Janes making scuff marks on the shiny marble floor. My best friend had been and was currently ignoring me, her arms crossed angrily over her chest as she plunked down in her assigned seat in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Luce folded her notebook out and arranged her ink bottle and quill neatly around her desk, ignoring me pointedly.

"I don't know why you're doing this." I whined as I took a seat and let my forehead connect with the desk with a thump. I squeezed my eyes shut and regretted my actions seeing as my headache was now turning into a full-blown migraine.

From beside me, Luce scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, first of all, I had to find out by some bitchy Gryffindor that my best friend slept with Sirius Black, and _then_ she got detention until late last night and instead of coming in to talk to me, she went straight to bed and pretended to be snoring whenever I asked her to wake up." I winced. I had hoped she hadn't noticed that last part, but I was a terrible actress and she knew it.

With a dramatic sigh, I sat back in my seat and frowned at my desk. "I'm sorry. Yesterday just really sucked. Really, really sucked. Tonight we'll have an all-nighter filled with girl talk. We'll even get in our underwear and have a pillow fight. Just stop ignoring me!" I glared at the table of boys in front of us who spun around at the mention of the pillow fight. Their eyes were wide in surprise. I made a turning motion with my finger and glared until they turned back around.

Luce smirked and unfolded her arms, aiming a finger at my face. "No more detentions! And you promise to explain everything?"

"As much as I can."

The boys turned back around, leaning lazily against the backs of their chairs. "So, I heard about—"

"Don't." Luce and I said at the same time. I had had far too many people start off with that same combination of words. The smiles faded off their faces as Luce and I looked at each other with a roll of our eyes. Professor Finner was late, as usual. It was already ten minutes past the hour with no sign of the ancient retired Auror. More than likely, he was asleep in his office again.

Sighing, I leaned against the desk as Luce tapped her chin deep in thought. "Hmm." She flung open her book bag and pulled out a ratty edition of her Potions book. I watched the pages fly by until Luce was deep into the index searching for something. "We can maybe trigger the memories back with a Potion?"

The thought made my stomach knot up. I wasn't ready to remember everything just yet. The thought of it made me sicker than actually thinking about what had happened. I shut her potions book and shook my head. "I think I want to try this the old fashioned way…" She pursed her lips as if detecting my anxiety. I wouldn't have been surprised, but was glad she dropped the subject.

She opened her mouth to say something just as a fluttering paper airplane landed on the desk between our notebooks. I raised an eyebrow before unfolding it.

'Pen: Want to come to Hogsmeade with me, Saturday? –Eric'

Both eyebrows shot up as I whirled in my seat to stare at the boy two desks behind us. Luce snatched the note from my hand and rolled her eyes at it. "Ugh. Do you think he just wants to get in your pants?"

Eric sent that head nod, his blonde curls bouncing, that only the male species understood and smirked, as if he already knew my answer. With a sigh, I took the note and crumpled it. "Probably. Damn git thinks I'm easy."

"Aren't you?" Luce giggled making me glare at her.

"Only recently, I suppose." We both glanced back at the boy who was busy joking with his mates about some Quidditch game. Typical. Eric Davidson was a pureblood Gryffindor who was the infamous Bloody Beater. He had sent six people to the hospital wing in one game and two weren't even playing. His arms were bigger than my head and I was convinced he was part giant. I had never given any thought to him, except the typical meathead, mind obsessed with Quidditch and boobs thoughts.

With a shrug, I took the note and scribbled 'sure' before throwing it at him. It bounced off one set of muscles as he uncurled it and grinned. "What was that?" Luce asked, staring at me incredulously.

"Luce, I know it's hard to imagine a life without Simon since you two were basically born in a relationship, but I'm single. I have _been_ single since 5th year. Even if the company is only interested in Snitches and snatches, it would be nice to actually have a meal paid for by another human being. Plus, he's Gryffindor. I figure I can ask him about…that night." And just like that, Professor Finner came bumbling out his office door, his robes askew and his face covered with bewilderment.

"Why haven't any of you woken me? Good heavens!" He cleared his throat and used the remaining half an hour to try to rush through advanced disarming spells. No one in the class corrected him that we had covered that last week. At least this way, I didn't have to take notes.

"Sorry." Luce whispered, glancing at the wizened man at the front of the classroom sympathetically. "I forget sometimes what it's like to be single, you're right. I feel bad for him." She nodded to the man and I hid a giggle behind my hand. He was far too old to be teaching and it made me question whether the Ministry really took teaching seriously. Behind his back, the entire class sat back at watched as an old man repeated his lessons.

**i!i!i!i**

The week progressed slowly, with pop quizzes, essays due, and me getting more and more nervous about Saturday. Every time I passed Eric in the hallway he would wink, or do the head nod thing that confused the hell out of me. Was it a 'yeah, I plan to shag you' kind of head nod or just 'I'm acknowledging your existence' nod?

Guys seriously needed to stop with the nod.

Luce sat on the corner of my bed, holding out two different shirts for me to wear. One was a white peasant blouse with billowing sleeves and a floral print stitched into the fabric while the other was black, long-sleeved and plain except for the enormous keyhole neckline that would definitely show cleavage.

"Well, it depends on what you're going for. Virginal, chaste, and over-all damsel in distress." Luce said as she held up the white garment. "Or, look at my bosoms and be hypnotized by them!" With a roll of my eyes, I snatched the black one and threw it back into the drawer it had been stuck in since my mother had sent it. Luce laughed and threw the other shirt at me. I slipped it on and buttoned the jeans around my hips.

I turned to the mirror and sighed. The shirt looked absolutely hideous. The white made my skin look awfully pale and I felt as if my chest was even bigger than it would have been in black. At least black was slimming. With a roll of my eyes I peeled it back off and sighed as Luce handed me the other garment with a grin. "You can still look virginal in this."

I pulled the shirt on and threw my arms up in defeat. The neckline was pretty and the fabric clung to my curves instead of making them look enormous. I looked fine, except that it was entirely inappropriate to wear it on a first date. If this was a date at all.

I glared at the reflection of my cleavage and pulled on my jacket before turning to Luce. She grinned and held two thumbs up. "Enjoy yourself! Order the most expensive thing, especially if he's boring. And don't give him any—"

"I know! Trust me, I'm not going to sleep with him!"

"I was going to say don't give him any reason to think you want to sleep with him, but yeah. What you said is good! Simon and I will be in Tomes and Scrolls if you need us!" She hopped off my bed and grinned as if I were her baby girl going out for the first time. I sighed and looked once more at my reflection, apprehensively.

**i!i!i!**

Eric was waiting on me at the Three Broomsticks. He was sitting in the farthest corner of the pub, a menu held up dangerously close to his face as if he had trouble reading it. I sat down across from him slowly and cleared my throat. The menu slapped the top of the table as he laughed nervously. "Hey." He said, drumming his fingers on the plastic menu cover.

"Hi. Uhm, how are you?"

"Oh, good. Just hungry." He looked toward the bar to where a line of girls sat, giggling to whatever the aging bartender was joking about. I cleared my throat and occupied myself with staring at the portraits of the famous wizards that have visited the pub. I recognized a few famous Quidditch players that my father liked to pay attention to. They stood against a massive amount of team banners that flapped in the wind. I jumped in surprise as the waitress smacked a menu in front of my face.

"What'll it be?" She asked, snatching a pen out of her messy up-do. I blinked and looked down at the menu, the plastic covering cracking from so many years of wear.

"Uh…Butter beer, I guess. And an egg sandwich please?" She took my menu back and looked at Eric as he spouted off a list of items.

"Yeah, water, with a lemon on the side, not floating in it. I'd like the Meatball sandwich but no tomatoes. If there are tomatoes, I will be furious." He tossed the menu at the woman. She barely caught it between her hands as she glared hard and stalked off. I was going to have to inspect my sandwich for spit. I stared at the boy as he sniffed and looked over at the portraits as if I didn't exist.

Wow. What a real charmer. Since it was obvious he wasn't particularly interested in me, I figured I would get right down to the point. "Listen, can I ask you something?"

"You just did." He scoffed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes and blinked instead. "Anyway…Were you at the Gryffindor party after the Quidditch game?"

"Yeah, I was. That's when I first noticed you." Something about the leering tone in his voice made me feel sick. I self-consciously pulled at the fabric, trying to cover more cleavage.

"Right. Anyway, the whole night is a huge blur to me…do you…remember if I did anything stupid?"

He scoffed and leaned his elbows on the table, twirling a salt shaker around on its base. "You mean, besides Black?" I winced, hoping he was just being a moron. "I caught a couple of glimpses of you on the tables. You have some pretty nice dance moves for..." He trailed off but I knew the words would have been 'for a big girl'. "But, you didn't get naked or anything. You were just dancing and the next time I saw you, you were with Potter and Black knocking back shots of fire whisky. " He glanced around the room, as if he realized he was talking too loudly and didn't want to be noticed.

This time I did roll my eyes at him. There was no way I was going to spend any more time with this turd than I had to. As soon as I finished my more than likely spit upon sandwich I was definitely going to leave. A plate was dropped in front of me as well as my glass of butter beer. I took a quick sip as Eric inspected his sandwich as if it were poisoned.

The waitress didn't even wait to see if we were satisfied. Not that I blamed her.

I took a bite while my male companion inhaled his entire monstrous sandwich in three bites. I stared as he chugged the butter beer and 'ahhed' loudly. The boy's entire existence grated on my every nerve. I ate quicker, hoping this 'date' would end fast.

"So, look, I'm just going to throw this out there. I got a room reserved upstairs. My pop pulled some strings so we could have a bit of fun." My jaw hung open and I couldn't even be sure I had heard him right. Had he just propositioned me like some two Galleon hooker? Eric sat back and smirked as if he knew my answer was a definite yes.

My mind was blank, void of anything logical to say. For the longest moment, I sat there with a half-chewed bite in my mouth as I frantically tried to form a coherent sentence in my head. There were no insults great enough that I could come up with that would do him justice. Scoffing, I slapped my bread and egg back on the plate and opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, filled to the brim with expletives, but I was beaten to the punch.

From over my shoulder, something flew fast and smacked Eric right in the face, exploding in green goop all over his head, and neat as a pin Quidditch Jacket. I hoped it stained. A hand reached out and snatched my arm, pulling me out of the booth. I spun around and slammed right into a solid, and very clean smelling chest that just happened to belong to Sirius Black.

"What the bloody fuck?" Eric roared, flying out of his seat, frantically wiping at the gunk. No matter how much he wiped off, it still seemed to coat him completely. "I'm going to _murder_ you, Black!"

"Hey! Take it outside, the lot of you! There'll be no fighting in my pub!" The bartender smacked his rag on the counter and pointed angrily at Sirius Black. "And you can stay out for good!"

Sirius shrugged and pulled me along toward the door. "That's alright, mate! Food's a bit grotty here anyway." I chuckled under my breath as I looked back at Eric fuming, still trying to wipe the mess off. A couple of girls from the bar had come to his aide and he quickly forgot about me or his plan to murder Sirius. As we stumbled out into the snow, I couldn't help laughing.

The sight of that stuff hitting Eric's smug face was far more enjoyable than any insult I could have thrown at him. Once we were far enough away from the Hogs Head, Sirius and I collapsed against the side of Zonko's. We were laughing so hard by then I had tears rolling down my cheeks. "What…"I took a deep breath and pushed my hair out of my face. "What was that stuff anyway?"

With a shake of his head, Sirius straightened and pulled out a can from his pocket. The label said 'Goo Goo Goop' and had a picture of two boys throwing a green ball back and forth until it exploded on the second one. "Just got it from Zonko's not twenty minutes ago. Seemed like a perfect time to use it. Never expected it to be that much of a burst though!" He tossed the can up and caught it midair and I could tell he was quite satisfied with himself.

"Yeah, but now you've got one of the biggest bloke's in school after you."

Sirius put a hand to his chest, clearly offended. "You think I couldn't handle myself? M'lady, you do not know Sirius Black very well." His proper accent was laughable, making me roll my eyes.

"Still. If he pummels you after class, I'll feel horrible."

After a few moments of quiet, Sirius shrugged and pushed off the wall. "Well, if that does happen, I'll be sure to come to you to nurse my wounds."

"I could do that."

"Of course, you'd have to be wearing a very revealing nurse's uniform. I don't think I'd be able to recover if you wouldn't wear it." My face lit up in embarrassment, my cheeks redder than a beat. I tucked my hair behind my ears and scoffed, not entirely sure what to say. I mentally kicked myself for being so daft. He was just flirting. Just innocent, casual flirts. They meant nothing.

"I think I might try to get him to actually beat me up. This sounds like too good an idea to pass up!" Sirius laughed as my eyes widened and my face blushed harder. He wiped a tear from his eye and threw an arm around my shoulder. "Oh, I'm kidding! About the uniform that is. But, I will definitely come to you if he comes after me."

"Well, I can deal with that."

He pulled me into the street, toward Honeydukes. My stomach lit up with butterflies as he pulled me close, still laughing. I had no idea what to tell Luce, if she would even believe half of this. Hell, I didn't even know if I believed any of it! Surely I was still asleep, having the world's craziest dream!

"Sirius. Black!" Together, we spun in the snow and my stomach plummeted to my feet at the sight of Jillian. She had her hands on her hips and her face was red with fury. I immediately stepped away from Sirius, his arm dropping to his side. With a slight groan, he stepped up to her and argued quietly for a moment.

"I don't care!"

"I do. You're acting like a nutter!" Sirius threw his hands in the air just as a couple of horses started trotting down the street, carrying a carriage. I stepped onto the sidewalk as it passed, the driver tipping his hat to me. I smiled in return and glanced to the two arguing still. Feeling uncomfortable and awkward, I decided that I should just escape before I get left behind in the end anyway.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets, making my way into Tomes and Scrolls to search for my two best friends. Simon was reaching for books on the top shelf as Luce called out several titles. I watched from the hallway, smiling as Simon did practically everything he was told. He was such a loving, easy going guy. Sometimes, I found myself wishing I could have lived next door to him growing up…but Luce deserved the happiness he brought her.

They shared a kiss as Simon stacked the books up. I made my way up to them, waving to Simon as he gave me the infuriatingly typical 'guy nod'. Luce spun around, her eyes wide and arms outstretched. I rolled my eyes and leaned against a book shelf. "How was it!"

"Disastrous. But, boy do I have a story to tell you!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>- This was a long chapter, but fun to write! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I greatly appreciate it ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the world JK Rowling created!

AN- Don't forget to review!

Chapter 4

* * *

><p><em>I was dancing. I could practically feel the music coursing through me, as I swayed on my feet, raising my arms above my head. There was a sea of bodies dancing around me, heating the air. The space between each dancer was thick with humidity and desire. I could almost taste it.<em>

_I continued to move, and swirl my hips around as a hand circled my waist, spinning me. I didn't even know who the person was, and I didn't care. I closed my eyes at the feeling of another body pressed into my back, their hips pressing hard into mine. We moved together, their hands balling the sides of my shirt in their fists. _

_As the beat to the music bumped heavier, a hot breath on my neck sent me trembling. With shaking knees, I turned in my partner's arms and pressed my face into their chest, inhaling deeply. Soap and sweat met my senses. So familiar, and so intoxicating._

_Hands gripped my wrists, pulling me back and out of the stranger's arms. I looked up, but the haze from the heat made it impossible to recognize their face. I whimpered as someone else spun me around into open arms. I was sent spinning across the dance floor several times until everything stopped and it was only me left, standing alone in the Gryffindor common room, surrounded by red and gold streamers. I watched as they floated to the floor curling around the toes of my shoes._

_Confetti rained down from the ceiling as I spun around, trying to find the person I had danced so closely to. "Come upstairs." A voice whispered against my ear, sending a wave of shivers down my spine. I gasped at the sound and my eyes opened to the dark of my room_.

I could hear Luce faintly snoring on the opposite side of our dormitory. I covered my face in my hands and groaned softly, not exactly wanting that dream to end. I had never dreamt so vividly. The goosebumps were still stretched across my arms and legs.

With a sigh, I situated my pillows and pulled my blankets around me that I had apparently kicked off. Luce's snoring kept me awake, but only for a moment before I was fast asleep, unable to conjure a damn dream.

An alarm was beeping annoyingly. I cracked an eye open to see Luce hop out of bed as if she had slept a full 8, perfect hours. Her morning routine made me regret ever befriending her. "Rise and shine sleepy head!" She said, patting my ankle. I pulled it back under the blanket and groaned.

"Why should I?"

"Because! Today we are having a picnic, remember?"

I had forgot. Her and Simon have apparently felt as if they were excluding me, and decided that what I needed most was a picnic as a third wheel. Their intentions were good, so of course I agreed. The two always managed to keep public affection to a minimum around me, something I was silently thankful for.

I didn't know if I could to take seeing such acts after that dream I had. Even after falling back asleep, the remnants of it were fresh in my head. I could probably have fifty dreams and would still remember every detail about it.

Luce threw a white shirt at my head and bounced the corner of the bed, jarring me out of my reverie. "C'mon! It's such a gorgeous day! And it's not too cold yet."

"Fine…Ugh, I'm up." I groaned as I pulled my pajama top up over my head and threw it in our shared hamper. I looked at the Quidditch shirt she had thrown me, with a bright green emblem of Australia's team. A dragon circled the shield with the words 'Australia's Best' written in glittering green letters. "Quidditch? Really? I've had just about enough Quidditch." I mumbled, pulling it on.

Luce scoffed and smoothed her shiny mane of hair down past her shoulders where it fell in a perfectly straight line at her back. She somehow always managed to keep her hair in perfect condition, no matter what circumstance came our way. I just wanted to ruffle it up once to see if it fell back into place perfectly.

"Well, there's a game this weekend, you know. We play Hufflepuff."

"Oh joy."

I admit, I wasn't one of the sporty girls. Despite having friends who knew practically everything about the game, I couldn't tell the difference between a bludger and a beater. And to be honest, I liked it that way.

Me and sports never mixed well, probably because me and coordination never mixed well. Add aerial acrobats in the mix while flying at dangerous speeds and I might as well just throw myself off the Astronomy Tower. At least that way, I'd have at least a few unbroken bones.

"You can sit with me and cheer Simon on!"

"As long as we skip the after party. Of course, if the Huff's win, I doubt there'll be much of one."

Luce turned around as I slipped my pants on and put her hands on her hips. "You bet your arse I'm not letting you go to another bloody party until you're 30!"

Somehow I didn't believe her, but she would be the best at keeping me out of trouble. Funny how just a few weeks ago, Trouble and I didn't even know each other…now we're on a first name basis and he just seems to follow me around everywhere.

By the time we had made it out onto the lawn, it was clear that the majority of the students planned to spend the last pretty day outside, before the weather turned nasty. The wind was nippy, but I was warm inside my fleece jacket. I stuffed my hands inside the soft pockets and followed Luce and Simon to our designated picnic spot.

The lawn sloped downward a bit and leveled off before descending down the stone steps to the dock. It was a nice spot, with a lovely view of the lake. I could see a few students skipping rocks and laughing before I sat on the blue and silver blanket Simon stretched out.

He tapped his wand against the basket and pulled out three plates and sandwiches. "Smells yummy! I didn't realize how hungry I was." I said as my stomach growled in anticipation. Just as I started to take a bite, I caught a glimpse of a group of girls standing above us on the hill. They were marching down the slope heading straight toward us.

And of course, in the lead was my new found enemy, Jillian. With a sigh, I set the sandwich down on the plate and dusted my fingers off on my corduroy pants.

Luce turned to glance over her shoulder at what I was staring at, and I couldn't be too sure, but it sounded like a growl escaped her throat. "Oh great." She muttered just as the clique of girls stopped before us. Jillian's perfectly polished boots were on the blanket.

With a sigh, as if the entire thing was an inconvenience to our picnic, Luce tapped the tip of the girl's boot. "Excuse me, you're getting mud on my blanket."

"Well, it's only an improvement." Jilian bit back, grinding her foot into the fabric of the blanket. I rolled my eyes and stood up, knowing good and well that Luce was going to go stark raving mad if I didn't stop this right now.

"Can we help you?"

Jillian cast her dark eyes toward me, her arms crossing over her chest slowly. Her dark hair fell in pleats and was tied back with a thin, red ribbon. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?" She stepped to the side, only a foot away from me now. "Do you honestly think you could stand a chance with Sirius? Because to be honest, I don't."

"Well, thank you for you honesty, but I really do not care about Sirius Black. Nor do I care about dating him, or pretty much anything to do with him."

"Then why are you spreading around the rumor that you two slept together?"

I narrowed my eyes, my brow furrowing. "I'm not spreading it around. Everyone else is! If you seem to know something about that night, why don't you come forward and tell everyone _you_ were with Black?" I tapped my chin, in mock thought, anger fueling my words. "Oh that's right, because you weren't. And if my memory serves me correctly, it wasn't you waking up beside him, it was me. So why don't _you_ just give up this little game you're playing. You're not very good at it."

I could see flames behind her eyes as she seethed under my words. I had gotten to her. The words of a chubby Ravenclaw actually unnerved a Gryffindor bombshell. Chalk one up for the big girls! I felt proud. Until a sharp slap to my face sent stars through my vision.

"What. The. Fuck." I said, blinking back the tears from the sting. Jillian was breathing hard, her fists clenched at her side. In seconds, Luce and Simon were on their feet and by my side, their wands outstretched. The girl's surrounding Jillian were a bit late, but by her side nonetheless.

"No one speaks to me like that. Do you even _know_ who my parents are? They could literally strip you and your entire family of magic, of course unless you're a stinking mudblood."

"She's not." Simon snapped. "But I am. And I don't give a rats arse who your family is. If they come near me, I'll hex them into the fucking sky." Both Luce's and my eyes widened at him. He was so quiet, I never knew he had it in him. I very much liked it.

Her eyes narrowed at his threat, but she didn't push him further. Jillian turned her attention back to me, raising a finger close to my face. I thought about grabbing it and throwing her down the hill, but I couldn't face another detention. "Just stay the hell away from my boyfriend, you disgusting, fat slut." She sneered before spinning on her boot heel, her long hair whipping me in the face.

I shook my head and touched my tender cheek with my fingers. My skin was still hot from the slap and a part of me wondered if any of it happened at all. My head was dizzy from the incident, and all I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs. That would probably give the professor's something to worry about, so instead I turned to Luce and Simon. "I'm sorry." I said, sighing toward the sky.

"She's a bitch." Simon put his wand back into his pocket and glared at the retreating group of girls.

Luce inspected my face and put the back of her cool fingers against my cheek. "She's so nasty. Are you alright? I couldn't believe she slapped you."

Smirking, I glanced over at our abandoned picnic, wishing we had opted to have it in the Ravenclaw common room instead. "I'm fine. I kind of feel good though."

"Good? I'm still bristling." Simon pushed a hand through his hair and shook his head in disgust. He sat back down on his blanket and proceeded to build his sandwich. Like a true boy, never gives up food for anything. As I sat down, I folded my legs under me and smiled at my two best mates. "It just feels good knowing that even for a drunken night, her boyfriend chose me instead."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you should try to pursue him. He obviously brings a lot of trouble to the table."

Trouble. There he was again, snickering behind my back. No doubt he watched the whole scene go down. Still, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Despite the harsh words Jillian had said, the underlying message was loud and clear; she was jealous of me.

And since I was a girl who always had boys consider me 'one of them'…it felt damn good knowing that I got the guy that she couldn't. Or well, that night. Sighing, I turned back to the picnic and took a bite of my loaded sandwich. Just as I was beginning to enjoy myself, a brown owl swooped down and landed on the blanket beside me.

Luce shrieked in surprise, her bread and bottle of water flying out of her hands. "Bloody hell!" She screamed, her mouth still half full.

Laughing, I reached over and untied the rolled up note from the bird. I pulled off a piece of bread and held it out for him to take as a treat before he took off into the sky. "Who's it from" Simon asked behind his cup of butterbeer.

I unrolled it and frowned. The handwriting was unfamiliar, and definitely not my mother or father's. "I don't know."

"Well, what's it say?"

I sighed and looked at Luce from over the paper, pursing my lips. "I'm trying to read it." They both fell silent as I inspected the note.

'_Pen,_

_Meet me in the library at a quarter til' nine.'_

It wasn't signed, immediately making the knots in my stomach tighten.

Surely this had to be a prank. Another ploy of Jillian's to get me cornered so she could inflict further damage. But, then again, my curiosity was peaking. Who could it be from? If it were someone like my new found enemy, she wouldn't have called me Pen. Unless she wanted to trick me. Ugh. The paranoia was seriously starting to make a dull ache form behind my eyes.

Luce glanced at me from over her sandwich, noticing my silence. Before she could lean over and spy what was written, I folded it up and slipped it into my pocket, smiling as convincingly as I could. "Just Margaret Moe. I borrowed her Astronomy maps to check mine and she wrote me, wanting to meet up to exchange them." I averted my eyes, not entirely sure why I had lied…

She always made sure to play things safe, and so far throughout my life, I thought that's what I enjoyed as well. And despite the fact that I still loathed myself for that drunken night in the Gryffindor common room, something inside me kind of, actually, sort of liked it.

And that in itself was horrifying to admit.

Sighing, I looked down at my egg sandwich. I didn't feel so hungry anymore. Instead, all I could think about what how I could show up in the library and spy on whoever came in.

In the end, I decided to go two hours early, just in case Jillian and her gang of lackey's decided to form a plan early on. So far, the only students amongst the books were studying or working hard on forgotten homework. I checked the large clock above the circular check-in desk and saw it was only 8:30. Madame Pince was stamping books and placing them on a metal cart, humming lightly to herself.

The library would be closing at nine, and still there was no sign of my mystery writer, or Jillian. Maybe it wasn't her.

For once, I was thankful my paranoia didn't pay off. I sat back in my chair, hidden at the back of the library. The locked Restricted Section was at my back, and I had a good view of the door if I peeked around the shelves. But, no one that would seek me out was in the library, and the door stayed closed until 8:55.

I sighed and stacked my books as Madame Pince came around and gave every one the final warning to finish up working so she could close the library. I stood and swung my satchel over my shoulder, wondering what I had even expected from tonight. Did I think Sirius Black would stroll in and tell me he dumped Jillian and wanted to be best friends forever? No, I don't think I was that daft. Maybe it was an apology from Eric? Even though I highly doubted that to ever happen.

With a shrug to my own thoughts, I pursed my lips and turned to face the library, nearly colliding head first into someone else. The scent of a fresh shower hit me, making me whip my head up so fast I felt my neck pop.

"Oh." I said as I looked up into a familiar smirking face.

* * *

><p>AN- Well, a sort of cliff hanger. I've been debating on whether or not to re-write the last part of this chapter, and finally, I just decided to split it into two chapters. It was almost 10 pages and I didn't know where to stop it. Anyway, thanks SOO very much for all the reviews! I really, really appreciate them!<p> 


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